At 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, the Holiday Stroll Parade will roll through Old Town Lewisville under a theme the city chose on purpose: "Sailing into the Season." The parade application call, posted October 23, asks for entries that "combine the spirit of the holiday season with the fun, beauty and character of life on the water," and it adds one plain request: "Boats and watercraft encouraged!" Applications are due Monday, November 30.
So the city will be celebrating the lake on Mill Street this December. Out on the water, Lewisville is in a rebuilding season. The lake is several feet below where it sat this summer. The city also has construction scheduled at three different water access points over the same months: the LLELA kayak launch, the Lake Avalon boardwalk and the Boat Ramp No. 2 peninsula at Lake Park. If you like to get on the water or walk beside it between now and the first weeks of 2027, it helps to know which spots are fenced off for the season and which ones are still open.
The lake the parade is honoring is about four feet low
On October 25, the Texas Water Development Board's Water Data for Texas reservoir page showed Lewisville Lake at 517.98 feet. The conservation pool elevation is 522.00 feet, so the lake was 4.02 feet below it. The drop came quickly. The same page's daily averages show how the fall has gone:
| Date | Percent full | Mean water level |
|---|---|---|
| April 25, 2026 | 100.0% | 522.23 ft |
| July 25, 2026 | 98.7% | 521.72 ft |
| September 25, 2026 | 83.3% | 518.36 ft |
| October 25, 2026 | 81.7% | 517.99 ft |
| October 25, 2025, for comparison | 95.8% | 521.11 ft |
Most of that fall came in the two months after late July, and the lake has kept dropping a few hundredths of a foot per day since then. It is also more than three feet lower than on the same date last year. The board labels these figures provisional and subject to revision. Day to day, the difference shows at the shoreline. Water that reached a dock or a familiar fishing spot in July now sits farther out.
The low water also lines up with a cluster of city construction at three access points along the lake and the river.
Three waterfront projects scheduled for the same season
The city's Park Plans and Projects page lists the work, and each project affects a different kind of trip.
The LLELA kayak launch. The paddling launch at the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area is being redesigned to improve safety and accessibility and to handle fluctuating river levels better. The city says the original 2016 design didn't meet modern accessibility standards. Construction was expected to begin in fall 2026 and take about three to four months. River access at the launch site stays closed while crews work. LLELA's current conditions page, last updated September 29, says the road east of the Cicada Pavilion is closed to the public during construction, and the river parking areas are off-limits too. It describes the existing kayak and canoe launch area as inaccessible for now.
The Lake Avalon Park boardwalk and bridge. In a September 21 announcement, the city scheduled construction to begin Monday, October 5. The work starts with demolition of the existing boardwalk and bridge. The replacements are precast concrete structures made by PermaTrak, and the island gets a new concrete patio, benches and a guardrail. The city estimates about 120 calendar days of work, not counting city holidays, and the schedule can shift with weather or site conditions. Parts of the park are closed during the work, and visitors are asked to follow the posted fencing and closure signs. Fain Group LLC won the contract. With a change order that added the island amenities, the total construction cost is $905,091.25, paid from the city's Parks Capital Improvement Program. If the schedule holds, the new boardwalk should open in early 2027.
Boat Ramp No. 2 at Lake Park. Lake Park, at 600 Sandy Beach Road, covers more than 662 acres east of Mill Street and has two boat ramps with courtesy docks. The permanent plan for the peninsula at Ramp No. 2 replaces the ramp and courtesy dock, fixes shoreline erosion, improves the parking lot and replants the former swim beach. Construction is slated for late 2026. This is the first piece of a larger Lake Park master plan. The city held public meetings on it August 12 and 13 and plans to present design updates at a City Council workshop in November.
Here is how the three projects line up:
| Spot | What's changing | Timing the city has published |
|---|---|---|
| LLELA kayak launch | Redesigned launch and parking; river access at the launch closed during work | Fall 2026 start, about 3 to 4 months |
| Lake Avalon Park | New precast boardwalk and bridge, island patio and benches | Scheduled Oct. 5 start, about 120 calendar days |
| Lake Park Boat Ramp No. 2 | New ramp and courtesy dock, erosion work, parking, swim beach restoration | Late 2026 start |
Before a specific trip, check the posted signs. You can also call the LLELA Gatehouse at 469.635.5483 or the Lewisville Parks and Recreation admin office at 972.219.3550.
Where the water is still open in November
With those three spots in transition, here's what's still available.
Eagle Point Marina. Suntex, which operates marinas across the country, announced on February 5 that it had acquired Eagle Point Marina. Under the city's 11-year agreement, Suntex keeps renting slips to current tenants while it phases in a modernized marina. The marina's slips page lists covered and uncovered slips, dry and trailer storage, a fuel dock, a ship store, boat service and a boat ramp, and the marina also offers boat rentals and a boat club. Its site currently advertises 30% off Saturday boat rentals for fall. Rentals include pontoons and tritoons and are booked online. The store and rental hours posted on the marina's site are labeled as summer hours, so confirm winter hours when you book.
The Trinity River on foot. LLELA's paddling launch is closed, but anglers can still reach the river. The conditions page tells visitors to walk the Redbud Trail to the Trinity. As of September 26, all six named trails were listed as open: Bittern Marsh, Redbud, Blackjack, Cicada, Cottonwood and Green Dragon. Daily entry is $5 per vehicle, paid by Visa, Mastercard or Discover only. The gate doesn't take cash, tap-to-pay or American Express.
Guided fall and winter fishing. BendaRod Fishing Guide, run by Wes Campbell, offers year-round trips on Lewisville Lake for hybrid striper and white bass. Fall and winter are part of its season, and trips meet at Tower Bay Park.
A December that runs from the cabin to the plaza
The waterfront projects take the lake out of some weekend plans, but the city's calendar keeps people outdoors through the holidays. LLELA has the busiest November, with events listed on its events calendar:
- Wednesday, November 4 and Wednesday, November 18: Toddler Nature Time
- Saturday, November 7: 1st Saturday Nature Walk
- Saturday, November 14: 2nd Saturday Bird Walk
- Sunday, November 15: Thrive Nature Walk
- Saturday, November 21: Saturday at the Homestead
- Tuesday, November 24: Beaver Moon Night Hike
- Saturday, December 20: Thrive Nature Walk
LLELA is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. On Saturday, December 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., LLELA hosts Christmas at the Cabin at its historic log house, 201 E. Jones St. There will be hayrides and holiday activities, and the event is free with the $5 vehicle entry.
The Old Town Holiday Stroll takes place the weekend before at Wayne Ferguson Plaza, 150 W. Church St. Friday, December 4 brings a Kids Market, hayrides and caroling. The Lewisville Lights! tree lighting is at 6:45 p.m., followed by a movie on the plaza at 7 p.m. Saturday's Stroll runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the parade starts at 1 p.m. If you have a boat, a kayak or a creative idea for a parade float, the November 30 application deadline comes up the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Old Town is also getting a new landmark. A gateway monument on Mill Street is being prepared for construction in late 2026. It will span Mill and Kealy streets and feature a three-dimensional pecan tree that honors the city's heritage. The city hasn't published a completion date for the gateway.
If the new launches, boardwalks and ramps change which streets and shorelines matter most to you, The Escalante Group knows Lewisville's lakeside parks and the neighborhoods closest to them. Contact Us when you're ready to talk about life near the water.
